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Saturday, December 02, 2006
Over 200 feared dead in Reming's onslaught
MANILA -- More than 100 people died when heavy rains spawned by super typhoon Reming (international name: Durian), loosened mud and boulders from Mayon Volcano and buried at least eight villages of Albay province on Thursday night.
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Albay Governor Fernando Gonzales said search and rescue teams have already recovered at least 108 bodies in the mudslide-affected villages of Daraga and Sto. Domingo towns and Legaspi City as of 2 p.m., adding that their operations will continue to save other trapped victims.
"Many of the houses were totally covered by mud. Only the rooftops were coming out," Gonzales, adding that local officials and search and rescue teams have difficulty penetrating the areas because of the flooding and clogged roads.
Gonzales said rescuers, who he said have been thinly spread, were looking at every house buried by the mudflow "and see and try to recover casualties in those residences."
He said teams from other localities were due to augment the rescuers Friday afternoon.
Gonzales appealed for assistance for the people of Albay, the area worst hit by Reming. The super typhoon was already on its way out of the country's area of responsibility as of Friday afternoon.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque III informed President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo during a meeting of the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC), presided by the President in Camp Aguinaldo, that he received reports from the health office in Albay that at least 220 people perished in the mudslide.
Duque said Gonzales has asked for cadaver bags and that the health department had allotted 200 body bags available at the health office in the province.
Duque also said Reming's winds were so strong that it damaged the Bicol Regional Hospital in Legaspi City, causing the facility to relocate patients to the ground floor, and the Bicol Medical Center in Albay.
Arroyo said initial figures on the deaths caused by Reming revealed that it is indeed a "strong typhoon". "For such a strong typhoon, 220 (casualties) is almost like (hurricane) Katrina," she added, referring to the strong hurricane that hit the southern US almost two years ago and caused so many deaths.
"But as we can see, things are really very much under control. So congratulations for the good forecast," Arroyo said, referring to the prediction by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) which served as basis for the NDCC to issue flood advisories as early as November 28.
So far, the NDCC has only confirmed 55 deaths in Albay and in Camarines Sur, which was hit by flooding as of 2 p.m. Sixty-four people were reported injured in the two provinces and 113 others -- all in Albay province -- are missing.
The NDCC also said it has counted a total of 4,403 families or 21,684 persons affected by the typhoon in the Bicol region and in Southern Tagalog. Of the number, 2,779 families or 13,920 persons are housed in evacuation centers.
Catholic bishops called on Filipinos to pray for the victims of the mudslide.
"Maybe the Lord wanted to remind us that He is still under control but at the same time he wants us to understand that the destruction brought about by typhoons has something to do with what we have done in the past especially on our environment and natural resources which had been damaged because of our disrespect for nature," said Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) president Jaro Archbishop Angel Lagdameo.
"We would not be experiencing this landslide and floods if we did not abuse and exploit our environment," he added.
Arroyo presided over the NDCC meeting shortly after meeting with top defense and military officials. The President assumed as defense secretary following the resignation of Defense Secretary Avelino Cruz.
NDCC-attached agencies gave their respective briefings to the President. The energy sector informed the President that the entire Bicol region and the provinces of Quezon and Batangas are blacked out.
"The unfinished business is the implementation of the response," said the President, who specifically asked Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) administrator Glenn Rabonza and his deputy, Anthony Golez, to follow-up the restoration of electricity.
Arroyo directed the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to make available "savings and unutilized portions" of the Priority Development Assistance Fund (Pdaf) for the relief and rehabilitation operations after the onslaught of typhoon Reming.
Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya Jr. said funds, which can only be used for the repair or replacement of damaged public works and agriculture infrastructure and to assist victims who lost their homes and livelihood, would be directly released to National Government agencies and local governments units (LGUs) in areas severely affected by the typhoon.
Andaya said the funds would be released once damage reports from the NDCC and cost estimates for the repairs have been submitted to them.
"Pending the submission of these, we can't peg the amount that will be drawn from the Pdaf but all releases will be made in a transparent manner," he said adding that the release of the Pdaf would be strictly on a need basis.
He assured that the Pdaf of opposition representatives of the affected provinces would also be released upon their request. He said that "in helping the people, you don't ask if they voted for an administration or opposition candidate to determine if they deserve the assistance or not."
He added that tapping the Pdaf "is a good a good idea" as it is bigger than the calamity fund. The Pdaf allocation for this year is P6.2 billion while the calamity fund is only P1.9 billion, a big chunk of which has already been earmarked for "work related to the Guimaras oil spill, Mayon volcano eruption and OFW (Overseas Filipino Workers) repatriation."
Rabonza said Southern Luzon Command (Solcom) Chief Alexander Yano has deployed soldiers to the vicinity of Mayon Volcano to help in the search and rescue mission.
He also said the Capitol buildings of Camarines Sur and Catanduanes and the OCD field office in the Bicol region were badly damaged by the weather disturbance.
Oscar Cristobal, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) deputy regional director for Region V, reported that infrastructure damage caused by Reming is placed at approximately P1 billion.
He said among those heavily damaged by the storm were school buildings, regional government offices, roads and flood control projects.
Cristobal also said that a portion of Maharlika Highway from Camalig to Legazpi City remains impassable as of press time.
The DPWH main office has deployed maintenance teams in the affected areas to conduct clearing and restoration operations.
"Aside from Catanduanes, and some parts of the Bicol area which remain isolated due to bogged down power and communication lines, other areas remain relatively fine as teams from our field and regional offices are on the ground to conduct field clearing and restoration works to open channels of transportation", said DPWH Regional Director Louie Mamitag.
In Manila, meanwhile, Reming caused minimal damage to circuits of the Manila Electric Company (Meralco).
Meralco said out of its 738 circuits, only 37 or five percent were affected by the typhoon.
The affected areas include Batangas City; Sto. Tomas and San Pascual in Batangas; Lucena, Tayabas, Tiaong and Dolores in Quezon; and San Pablo, Pila, Liliw, Majayjay, Nagcarlan and Magdalena Laguna.
Elpi Cuna, Meralco vice president and corporate communication's chief, said they acted quickly in restoring power to the affected area.
"We are just relieved that not much damage was wrought by the typhoon to our facilities. Our customers can be rest assured that we in Meralco will respond just as immediately in fixing the circuits that have been damaged," Cuna said.
"Prior to the typhoon, Meralco line personnel have been deployed throughout our franchise area to make sure that the appropriate preparations and safeguards were in place. All these were done to mitigate whatever damages the typhoon might inflict on our system. Thankfully, too, the weather condition in Metro Manila was not as bad as we anticipated," Cuna said.
He said Meralco personnel have been on full complement and non-stop duty to quickly restore power to homes and businesses.
Flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) resumed its operations after typhoon Reming passed through the country.
PAL cancelled 11 early morning domestic flights at the height of the storm's closest passage to the capital but it later resumed normal domestic and international services mid-Friday although delayed flights were expected as it hastens the recovery of aircraft evacuated overnight.
Ten narrow-bodied PAL aircraft used mainly for domestic and short-range Asian flights were moved to airports in the Visayas just after midnight Friday as the typhoon brushed the southern flanks of the capital.
PAL said it will allow 87 percent of its scheduled 84 flights between Manila and 18 provincial points to resume as well as operate all 45 flights between Manila, Cebu and 20 international points. (VR/JMR/MSN/Sunnex)For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Zamboanga. (December 2, 2006 issue)
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